Ricketts announced Monday he will propose a Nebraska Talent Scholarships program to lawmakers. It will provide $4,000-per-year scholarships for four-year students and $2,000 annually for two-year students.

Scholarships for the University of Nebraska will go to students studying math, engineering, industrial technology and computer information systems. Community and state college students can qualify if they’re studying rangeland management, industrial technology, computer information systems and criminal justice.

Ricketts says the program for four-year colleges will start with 250 scholarships in its first year, at a cost of about $1 million. Community colleges will get 65 scholarships, at a cost of $260,000 in its first year.